Rotary tiered canister set



16 IO I9 F162 PETER M. BEREND 3 0 ATTORNEYS 20, 68 P. M. BEREND 3,397,805

ROTARY TIERED CANISTER SET Filed March 15, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. PETER M. BEREND ATTORNEYS Aug. 20, 1968 BEREND 3,397,805

ROTARY TIERED CANISTER SET Filed March 13 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.4

INVENTOR. PETER M. BEREND X W M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,397,805 ROTARY TIERED CANISTER SET Peter M. Berend, Wooster, Ohio, assignor to Rubbermaid Incorporated, Wooster, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,758 8 Claims. (Cl. 22023.86)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus comprising mating containers removably carried on a lower platform which is rotatably supported on a base, an upper platform supported on said lower platform, and an upper container removably supported on said upper platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to a rotary canister set and more particularly to a set having canisters removably superposed at different levels.

The field of the invention includes canister sets for a variety of food materials such as coffee, tea, sugar and flour.

Conventional canister sets for food materials used in the kitchen or in storage rooms include sets consisting of a plurality of different sized canisters for different materials. Such sets require a substantial amount of room and usually are merely supported on a counter or shelf so that they slide out of place easily.

Certain prior constructions comprise a set of sectorshaped canisters of equal size mounted on a rotary platform, but these are not adapted to accommodate the different volume requirements for different food materials such as flour and tea, and are not tiered to conserve space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved rotary canister set which has maximum volume for minimum space, which has easily accessible sectional lower canisters, and which has novel supporting means for supporting an upper canister above the lower canisters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a lower platform which is rotatable on a base and carries a plurality of different sized mating canisters designed for easy removal from said platform, a hub and radial partition walls rising from said lower platform between said mating canisters and supporting an upper platform on which at least one canister is removably mounted in superposed relation to the lower canisters.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section as on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan section as on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, with two of the lower canisters in removed positions.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 4.

Various modifications and changes in details of construction are comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, the lower platform is preferably circular and the lower canisters 11, 12 and 13 are three sector-shaped canisters of different sizes which mate to form a circular arrangement for fitting on platform 10. Obviously, the number and size of said canisters can be varied.

The upper platform 14 is preferably circular and a ice single substantially circular compartment 15 is removably supported thereon. However, the number and shape of the upper canisters can be varied as desired.

Preferably, the lower platform 10 is flat and has a downturned peripheral flange 16. Concentric with flange 16 is a depending annular flange 17 which terminates in a horizontal inturned annular flange 18. An annular channel-shaped base 19 fits within said flange 17 and has an outturned horizontal flange 20 which snaps over the flange 18. The upper channel part of the base 19 serves as the raceway for a plurality of ball bearings 21 on which the lower platform is supported, making it easily rotatable on the base.

Rising from the lower platform is a vertical hub portion 23 and integral partition walls 24, 25 and 26 extending radially therefrom. Partition wall 24 is located between canister 11 and canister 12 in the mated or assembled position, partition wall 25 is between canister 11 and canister 13, and partition wall 26 is located between canister 12 and canister 13.

The partition walls are angularly arranged so as to abut the inner angular walls 11a and 11b, 12a and 12b, and 13a and 13b of sectional canisters 11, 12 and 13, respectively. As shown, walls 11a and 11b form an obtuse angle approximating 160, walls 12a and 12b form an obtuse angle approximating and walls 13a and 13b form an angle approximating 50. Thus, the sector-shaped canister 11 is the largest of the three and may be used for sugar, the canister 13 is the smallest and may be used for tea, and the canister 12 is of intermediate size and may be used for coffee. Obviously, these sizes may be varied as desired.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the canisters 11, 12 and 13 are preferably tapered outwardly upward, and at the base of their outer curved sides are provided with depending peripheral flanges 11c, 12c and 13c, respectively, for abutting the peripheral flange 16 of the lower platform 10 when the canisters are assembled thereon.

Also, the bottom walls of the canisters are provided with registering projections adjacent to their inner sides, for being received in the holes 11d, 12d and 13d (FIG. 4) in the lower platform when the canisters are assembled. The projection 13:: on canister 13 is shown in FIG. 5, and the projections on canisters 11 and 12 are substantially identical.

The lower portions of the outer curved walls 11', 12' and 13 are formed with recesses with overhanging flanges providing hand holds for facilitating removal of the canisters and replacing them on the lower platform. The recess 13] in the outer wall of canister 13 with overhanging flange 13g is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, and similar recesses are provided in canisters 11 and 12.

The canisters 11, 12 and 13 are provided with frictionfit covers 11h, 12k and 13h, respectively, having depending peripheral flanges 11 12 and 13 respectively, for fitting within the peripheries of the canisters. Also, the covers preferably have central curved recesses 11k, 12k and 13k, respectively, with upwardly projecting fins 11m, 12m and 13m therein for grasping with the fingers to remove the covers.

The hub 23 and partition Walls 24, 25 and 26 project above the canister covers 11h, 12h and 13h, and connect to the underside of the upper platform 14. Preferably, platform 14 is slightly upwardly concave and has an upwardly extending rim flange 28.

The upper canister 15 has a recessed bottom 29 fitting over said rim flange 28. The side wall of canister 15 is preferably tapered upwardly inward, and has a large opening 30 in its top wall into which the rim flange 31 of the cover 32 fits with a snap or friction fit. The cover may be provided with three angularly disposed curved 3 ribs 33 to facilitate handling. The canister 15 is relatively large and adapted to contain flour, but it can be replaced by two or more sector-shaped canisters if desired.

All of the parts except the balls 21 can be conveniently molded of suitable plastic material, such as high impact polystyrene or polyethylene, which material is strong and will not corrode, chip or dent.

Because of the two tier construction, a maximum container volume is obtained in a minimum of space, and the canister set is particularly adapted to occupy dead corner space on a counter top below wall cupboard cabinets. The rotating construction gives ready access to each of the lower canisters, as well as to the upper one. The hub and integral partition walls provide a sturdy and laterally spaced support for a relatively large and heavy upper canister without interfering with the support and accessibility to the lower canisters.

I claim:

1. A rotary tiered container set comprising a base, a lower platform rotatably mounted on said base, a plurality of containers removably supported on said lower platform in mating relation, said lower platform having an integral upright central hub and integral upright partition walls extending radially from the hub between said containers, an upper platform integral with and independently supported on the upper ends of said walls, and at least one container on said upper platform.

2. A container set as in claim 1 in which the platforms are circular and at least the lower containers are sectorshaped.

3. A container set as in claim 1 in which the partition walls extend radially of the lower platform.

4. A rotary tiered container set as in claim 1 in which the upper container is removably mounted on the upper platform.

5. A container set as in claim 1 in which the lower containers have recessed hand holds in their outer walls.

6. A container set as in claim 1 in which the lower containers and the lower platform have interfitting registering projection and recess means to retain the lower containers in mating relation.

7. A container set as in claim 2 in which the lower containers have recessed hand holds in their outer walls.

8. A canister set as in claim 3 in which the partition walls extend radially from a central hub connecting the upper and lower platforms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 208,806 10/ 1967 Bliss D44--6 418,809 1/1890 Mundy 21113l X 1,755,477 4/1930 Huuyady 211-163 X 2,074,564 3/ 1937 Scurlock. 3,170,741 2/1965 Richards 211163 X 3,227,283 1/ 1966 Ahlman.

FOREIGN PATENTS 651,877 4/ 1951 Great Britain.

.THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

